Top 10 Films of 2014     1.   Nightcrawler   dir. Dan Gilroy (pictured)    A deeply unsettling character study that is never less than edge-of-the-seat thrilling, Gilroy has crafted the definitiveportrait of the modern media complex, encapsulated in Gyllenhaal's incredible performance as unhinged news gatherer Lou Bloom.   Emaciated to the edge of grotesque, Gyllenhaal inhabits Bloom with the empty charm of a serial killer, delivering pitch perfect Tony Robbins-esque life coaching mantras while dispatching rivals without emotion, gleefully revelling in his work with psychopathic fascination.    From the twisted American Dream of Bloom's ascent to power, to the troubling sexual politics in his relationship with Rene Russo's network news producer,  Nightcrawler  is kinetic, relentless, and fearless.   Like Bloom filming the twisted carnage of a car crash, I couldn't look away.    2.   Birdman   dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu    A mediation on fame and the meaning of life, Birdman is hilarious, moving, and wonderfully-meta,with a career-best Keaton hamming his way through the play-within-the-film and spectacularly unravelling backstage. Norton, luminous in skin-tone and performance, is a lock for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.    3.   The Grand Budapest Hotel   dir. Wes Anderson    The most 'Wes Anderson' of Wes Anderson films, which depending on your opinion of Wes Anderson films is either genius or pointless. No guessing which camp I fall into: Peak Wes Anderson, peak enjoyment.    4.   Snowpiercer   dir. Bong Joon-ho    As each carriage on the train unearths new levels of horror, truth, and startling weirdness,  Snowpiercer  side-steps expectation and offers a cinematic experience unlike any other this year.    5.   The LEGO Movie   dir. Phil Lord & Chris Miller    Pure joy.    6.   Guardians of the Galaxy   dir. James Gunn    The most fun I've had in a cinema since that time I saw  The LEGO Movie .    7.   The Guest   dir. Adam Wingard    The Drive -esque elect
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